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A dingy wall may only need vacuuming with a brush attachment and crevice tool, or perhaps cleaning with a dry chemical sponge if the wall has smoke or soot residue. Otherwise, you’ll have to employ a wet method. Round up two buckets and a sponge, then follow this procedure:

• Fill one bucket three-quarters full with warm water, and mix in a squirt of hand dishwashing liquid, then fill the second bucket with clean rinse water.

   

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• Dip the large face of the sponge into the wash water about one-half inch. This prevents excess water from dribbling out of the sponge.
  
  
• Wipe the wall one section at a time. Rinse and squeeze the sponge into the catch bucket, re-wet it in the solution and go over the same section a second time.
  
  
• Polish the cleaned section with a dry terry-cloth towel.
  
  
• Rinse and squeeze dirty water out of the sponge, re-wet and repeat the process on the next section.

“When you finish, the catch bucket will be full of dirty water, and your cleaning solution will have stayed [almost] ... clear and full-strength the whole time,” says Don Aslett, author of The Cleaning Encyclopedia: Your A to Z Illustrated Guide to Cleaning Like the Pros. The second pass over each section “will absorb the dirt-laden water and leave the wall almost entirely clean.”

Some experts disagree about the best way to proceed. Aslett claims painted walls should be washed from top to bottom, while Jeff Bredenberg, editor of Clean It Fast, Clean It Right: The Ultimate Guide to Making Everything You Own Sparkle & Shine, recommends working from the bottom up to control streaks resulting from drips of water running down the wall. The streaks will be difficult to remove later, he says. The sponge-dipping technique should reduce this problem, but you might want to start next to the floor and work up if you tend to over-wet the sponge anyway.

Use a degreasing solution when cleaning walls and other areas in the kitchen that attract airborne grease.

To prepare for a fresh painting, clean walls with trisodium phosphate (TSP), a strong alkaline powder that is mixed with water and which removes gloss. The new paint will adhere better and last longer if dirt, gloss and residue are removed completely. TSP is sold in hardware stores and home centers. Follow all label instructions for mixing the cleaning solution, and heed all cautions and warnings for safety and best results, since TSP is caustic. Wear eye protection, rubber gloves and long sleeves while using TSP. Rinse the walls thoroughly with clean water after cleaning.